Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-06-04
"HAND WORK" IN SWEDEN.
How the tss Of Implements Is Tsug hit II
the Scandinavian Pen,nsuln.

How the Sc of Implements Is Taugh hit IN
the Scandinavian Peninsula.
Slojd, OF hand work, is the art of using
ordinary implements-suCh as a knife, =
saw, a hammer or paint brush. Mr.
Squeers seems TO have had some shadowy
notion of this system. ''C-l-e-an, clean;
wind -e-r, window; now go and clean it, p"
said that practical person. Slojd teaching is
10 technical instruction what liberal ed
ucaticn is to professional training. IL il
valued, not only as the first step toward
learning "A trade, but also as training for
the faculties. Appreciation of form, n
proper value Of time and method. neat
hess of manipulation and habits Of indus
try and self reliance are some of the bless
ingS with which it is credited. Enthusi-
ssts, moreover, hope that by including
manual work among ordinary school sub
jects bodily labor may in time be raised
from the low esteem where IL too often
lies.
Slojd was invented by one Uno Cyg-
ntus. Il Fin. who, after qualifying i'll seN
eral handicrafts. became schoolmaster
and was commissioned 10 draw up Il re-
port, on which the Finnish system of gov
ernment schools is based In Sweden his
system was copied some fifteen years ago,
and il has there spread 50 rapidly that in
many "f the common schools sluid forms
part Of the regular course. These who
view hand work merely as n training for
the faculties cuntne their teaching 10
simple work in wood. But those who
value il also as subsidiary Ia technical in
struction teach slojd in many branches
and carry il beyond the use of the sim
plest tools. Bookbinding, tinkering,
smiths work, painting, basket making
shoemaking and tailoring are among their
subjects, and they spare no efforts To
make the system attractive to pupils and
parents. At some schools pupils are al
lowed 10 Keep what they have made, or 10
buy il cheaply; or, 10 secure continuous
attendance, they are credited with deferred
pay. which they forfeit by leaving before
a stipulated course has been completed.
On completion Of the course the pupil is
presented with a bank book representing
his accumulated earnings and receives Il
parting counsel 10 increase them.
The parents sympathy il also angled
for. At a school in n laboriug district il
is rule that pupils shall he taught 10
make and use such common implements
as are most serviceable to working people
-rakes spades, az handles and the like
AssiduouS Young thinkers. tailors and shoe
makers are allowed the Use of school i'm
plements Ia make the family repairs and
thus exists in sweden the phenomenon OF
u self repairing boy, who mends his Own
raiment and cobblcs his own shoes.
In sweden. in Norway and in Fin
land the system has proved most success
ful. There seerns no reason why il should
not be introduced and become equally
successful here. The taste among non
laboring classes for using implements l.
universal Too often. however, the
hands that guide the implements ar.
rather Jealous. than skillful But i.
schools taught Sloid, these manual short
comings would he remedied The tool
chest. now Paudora's box Of evil, bring.
ing terror to paternal bosoms and impre-
cations On the donor would become 3
blessing. Instead Of amputating chair
legs or studding the furniture with tin
tacks. its skilled possessOr would do The
family'S odd iGbs. The penkuife found in
the pocket Of every schoolboy but Macau
lays would whittle and carve, under due
supervision, 10 the advantage OF the fit
tings and its owners fingers. Adults
would cease 10 slice their faces in vain at
tempts TO shave themselves: and TO the
adept in slojd, the opening of n meat tin
or sartline box would not mean lock jaw. II
10 the use of ordinary tools some crafts like
bookbunding were added brain workers
would grow up with a recreative hobby
ready made. Even u course Of darning
and button sewing might not come amiss
10 youths intended for professions, where.
according to the registrar generals IL
turns, they will he condemned To bachler
hood till 30 london saturday Review